Texas, shortly after the Civil War. Henry Moon is an outlaw, on the run from the law. He is captured trying to escape to Mexico and taken back to town to be hanged. The town has a special law that a condemned man can walk free if one of the single women of the town offer to marry him. Henry is in luck - at the last moment Julia Tate offers to marry him, and pretty soon they are married. However, Henry soon discovers that Julia's motives are purely business-orientated - she needs someone to work the mine on her property. This makes for a very cold marriage...
Ostensibly a comedy-western, but not overly funny. Has its moments, but many of the attempts at humour are of a slapstick nature and end up rather silly. Had some potential as a drama, exploring and developing the relationship between Henry and Julia, but this is pretty basic and predictable.
Some pretty big names in the cast: Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen (in her first movie), John Belushi, Christopher Lloyd, Ed Begley Jr and Danny DeVito (in a minor role). Unfortunately the movie does not come close to making full use of their talents. Even Nicholson seems unconvincing, even hammy at times.
Why John Belushi was even in the movie was beyond me - he doesn't have much screen time and his performance mostly consists of insane laughter and ramblings. Considering how he tended to find inspiration, I reckon that, during the filming of the movie, he did more lines off-screen than had lines on-screen...
Belushi's presence might also explain Nicholson's persistent nasally way of talking in the movie...
Ostensibly a comedy-western, but not overly funny. Has its moments, but many of the attempts at humour are of a slapstick nature and end up rather silly. Had some potential as a drama, exploring and developing the relationship between Henry and Julia, but this is pretty basic and predictable.
Some pretty big names in the cast: Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen (in her first movie), John Belushi, Christopher Lloyd, Ed Begley Jr and Danny DeVito (in a minor role). Unfortunately the movie does not come close to making full use of their talents. Even Nicholson seems unconvincing, even hammy at times.
Why John Belushi was even in the movie was beyond me - he doesn't have much screen time and his performance mostly consists of insane laughter and ramblings. Considering how he tended to find inspiration, I reckon that, during the filming of the movie, he did more lines off-screen than had lines on-screen...
Belushi's presence might also explain Nicholson's persistent nasally way of talking in the movie...